“Maybe stories are just data with soul.”  — Brené Brown

Utah Valley University (UVU) Institutional Research held the annual UVU Data Summit on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 to share progress and collaborate on how the university leverages its data.

This year’s summit focused on using data to create stories and make informed decisions.

“Data is an asset of the university and is critical to our successful storytelling and decision-making,” said Christina Baum, vice president of Digital Transformation at UVU. “Digital Transformation has been working hard to implement new technologies to make the collection, storage, sharing, and visualization of data easier and more effective.”

However, Baum said the technology can only take UVU so far.

“To truly revolutionize how we view and use data at UVU, we must engage broadly across campus so that every person feels that it is a part of their job to be ‘data-informed,’” Baum said. “This summit provides us the opportunity to share the excitement around the technology changes and to engage in meaningful conversations about how our data is used and ways that we can improve.”

The summit featured keynote speakers, including Christina Baum; Nathan Gerber, associate vice president of Digital Transformation; Laura Busby, director of Academic IT and Analytics; and Astrid S. Tuminez, president of UVU. Breakout sessions addressed data’s impact on retention, PBA requests, and diversity.

“The Data Summit this year was a great success because of all the incredible participants, both in presenters and attendees,” Gerber said. “We are thrilled with the positive feedback we have received. We really couldn't have done it without all the incredible people and their willingness to engage and share ideas regarding data at UVU.”

Democratizing university data is key to the success of the university’s mission, said President Tuminez, a keynote speaker on the summit’s second day.

“Data helps improve lives,” President Tuminez said. “All of us should be able to access data within our domain without having to ask Christina Baum. That saves time, helps you look at what you’re doing, and helps you know how you can improve….Because we are in the business of transforming lives.”

Recordings of the Spring 2023 Data Summit will be available on UVULearn (Bridge) in April 2023.